SAW-WORT Serratula tinctoria

Dant y Pysgodyn

Saw-wort looks like a thistle, but without the spines. It is actually a member of the daisy family. Its name arises from the saw like teeth on the edges of the leaves. It is found in unimproved hay meadows.

It has been declining in Britain since the 1900s, due to drainage, the improvement of pastures and the loss of grasslands in woods and on wood-margins. It is now almost exclusively confined to ancient, undisturbed habitats. 

BSBI 2025 Categorisation: Vulnerable 

Height: Up to 1m

Flowers: July to September

Colour: Purple